Program Associate, Climate

About the Barr Foundation 

The Barr Foundation’s mission is to invest in human, natural, and creative potential, serving as thoughtful stewards and catalysts. As stewards, Barr nurtures vital community assets. As catalysts, the Foundation advances breakthrough ideas to shape our collective future. We work in partnership with nonprofits, foundations, the public sector, and civic and business leaders to elevate the arts and creative expression, advance equitable solutions for climate change, and enable all students to discover and actualize their unbounded potential. Based in Boston, Barr focuses regionally and selectively engages nationally. 

Founded in 1997, Barr has grown to become one of the largest charitable foundations in New England and has contributed over $1.7 billion to communities throughout the region. With assets over $3 billion, Barr’s 2026 grantmaking budget is $130 million. We focus our grantmaking on arts and creativity, climate, and education – complemented by grants to strengthen New England’s social sector and for targeted special initiatives. 

A set of core values defined by our founding trustees express our beliefs about what constitutes effective philanthropy and guide how the Barr Foundation carries out its mission. Barr is committed to strive for impact, act with humility, invest in leaders, take the long view, center racial equity, embrace risk, and demonstrate curiosity. These values also guide our hiring process and the workplace culture that we shape together. We aim to make Barr an inclusive workplace where all team members can bring their full and authentic selves and be supported to learn and grow. For more information about Barr, visit barrfoundation.org.

About the Climate Program 

Since its inception, the Barr Foundation has prioritized the environment as a principal area of funding, and in 2010 focused its efforts on the monumental problem of climate change, through work on both mitigation and resilience. The Climate Program’s mitigation strategies focus on the two areas that produce the most greenhouse gas emissions: 1) how we generate and use energy across the Northeast (Clean Energy); and 2) how we move around in Massachusetts (Mobility). In addition, we acknowledge that even with concerted efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change, some of these impacts are inevitable. Our Climate Resilience strategy aims to increase the capacity of Massachusetts communities to prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change. We believe that while climate change is a global challenge, cities and states have become vital agents of change, and by focusing on these three areas, we can play an important role in helping to catalyze and advance equitable solutions. 

Across this work we seek to center racial equity. We do this by prioritizing communities that have suffered the most from the fossil fuel economy and focus on elevating the leadership of equity-centered climate organizations to grow their power and shape the climate field.

The Climate team is comprised of a Program Director, three Senior Program Officers, and one Program Manager. We are hiring for a Program Officer and this Program Associate position. This position reports to the Senior Program Officer, Clean Energy.

About the Program Associate Position

The Barr Foundation is seeking a full-time program associate to provide administrative and programmatic support to the Climate team. The Climate team collectively manages grantmaking to over 150 organizations, administers contracts with approximately 40 entities, and facilitates external relationships, research and convening essential to advancing the program’s strategic goals. The Program Associate plays a key role in collaborating with the team to implement processes, manage tasks, and maintain datasets critical to executing the team’s work, as well as collaborating across the foundation.

The ideal candidate is highly organized and self-motivated, with strong attention to detail and the ability to prioritize and manage workloads across multiple workstreams and team members. Essential qualifications include proven project management skills, proficiency in Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, willingness to learn Asana and Salesforce,  and strong written communication and interpersonal skills for effectively managing relationships with a diverse range of individuals and organizations. 

Key Responsibilities 

Grantmaking and Contracts Support (65%)

• Implement processes that advance grants and contracts from concept to approval; this includes generating task lists for program officers, tracking grantee and contractor documentation, following up with grantees and contractors and supporting the submission of grants and contracts, and liaising with Barr Foundation’s Grants Management Team.
• Maintain and strengthen processes to monitor and track contract invoices, grant payments, and grant reports to ensure accurate and timely delivery of information from grantees and contractors, and accurate record keeping in the Foundation’s systems

Proactive Project Management (20%)

1. Support the team to track and meet all internal deadlines and manage workloads related to grantmaking, budgeting, program planning, and foundation-wide cycles, including annual workplans
2. Support team members in designing, planning, and implementing meetings, convenings, learning activities, and special projects that support Climate Program strategic priorities and “beyond-the-grant" support, by conducting research and data analysis, developing agendas, taking notes, synthesizing information, and coordinating catering and other accommodations; this work includes working with consultants who may provide event management or facilitation support 
3. Facilitate Climate team engagements with the Communications and Learning and Evaluation teams by coordinating activities and projects and engaging in initiatives 
4. Prioritize and participate in bi-weekly Climate team meetings

Process and Operations (10%)

• Serve as point person and coordinate with the Grants Management, Finance, and Information Technology teams on matters related to grants, contract management systems and Climate Program needs
• Manage data and conduct analyses related to grants, contracts, and grantee and contractor contacts and organization information
• Support high-quality relationship management with grantees and external consultants

Foundation-wide Responsibilities (5%)

• Actively participate in foundation-wide activities, including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, internal culture building, and activities designed to support learning across teams
• Attend and actively participate in Climate team and Foundation-wide staff meetings and retreats; and in cross-functional work groups as appropriate 

Desired Qualities, Experiences, and Competencies 

While no single candidate may embody all the qualifications listed, an ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences. 

1. A commitment to advancing racial equity and inclusion in your work and in our workplace
2. An interest in reducing and further preventing climate change and prioritizing the experience of communities that are experiencing the impacts of climate change first and worst
3. Demonstrated proactive project management experience
4. Self-motivated with strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and ability to track and meet multiple deadlines
5. Comfort working with different types of quantitative data and budgeting tools
6. Demonstrated ability to identify, collect, organize, and synthesize information from various data sources
7. Effective communication and presentation skills
8. Strong interpersonal skills to manage relationships with a broad range of people (internal and external) and organizations
9. Knowledge of and proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office and Google applications
10. Experience with project management tools (e.g., Asana); and database systems (e.g., Access, Salesforce) is a plus 
11. Experience with nonprofit or philanthropic organizations is a plus
12. Academic coursework or professional/volunteer experience in either clean energy, transportation, resilience, environmental justice, or public policy is a plus

Compensation and Benefits

The starting salary range for this role is $74,000 to $80,000 and will be determined by factors including experience, readiness for the role, and organizational equity. The Barr Foundation offers an attractive benefits package including generous health, dental, vision, and life insurance; strong retirement savings program; 15 vacation days to start and a parental leave and health leave policies.

Barr is a Compact Signer for the 100% Talent Compact, which is administered by the Boston Women’s Workforce Council, a unique public-private partnership between the Boston Mayor’s Office and Greater Boston employers dedicated to eliminating the gender and racial wage gap. We are proud to be part of this first-in-the-nation approach to reaching pay equity for women and people of color across our region.

Flexible Work Environment   

The Barr Foundation embraces a hybrid workplace with the current expectation that staff in-office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and working remotely on Mondays and Fridays, with the understanding that some weeks may require an additional in-office day(s) for specific needs.  

Located along the waterfront in Boston’s North End, Barr’s offices are in the historic Pilot House and adjacent Two Atlantic Avenue building. Our walls and halls feature the work of contemporary artists, and the office space is designed to provide bright, open, flexible spaces for collaboration and independent work, and to host meetings and events. With expansive views of Boston Harbor, Barr is steps away from Boston’s “Freedom Trail” and bike share and near to restaurants, shops, museums, and parks.   

Equal Opportunity Employer  

The Barr Foundation is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and fostering an inclusive workplace where all employees feel their experiences, perspectives, and ideas are valued. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), sex, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or other protected characteristics in its hiring, compensation, promotion, or other employment activities.